American Sniper, an autobiography of Navy SEAL Chris Kyle, describes his life of service to his country, his family, and God. He tells moving stories about his experiences as war that give a very realistic view of the war in the Middle East. He served through four deployments in Operation Iraqi Freedom and others. Among his commendations are two silver stars, five bronze stars for valor and Marine Corps Merit Medals. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay The book begins with Chris reminiscing about his childhood in north central Texas. He was born on April 8, 1974. His parents, Wayne and Deby, taught him the values of patriotism, self-reliance, and caring for family and friends from a young age. “I have a strong sense of justice. It's basically black and white. I don't see much grey. I think it's important to protect others. I don't mind working hard. At the same time, I like to have fun. Life is too short not to." He also grew up, and still is, a firm believer in God. He says his priorities in life are these: God, County, Family. Chris naturally became a country boy, loving the outdoors. As a teenager he became a cowboy, learning to break horses. He even started competing in rodeos around age 16. “In high school I played sports – baseball and football – but nothing compared to the excitement of the rodeo.” He continued running in 1992, when he graduated from high school and attended Tarleton State University. In college he thought about careers as a ranch manager or in the military. While going to school full time, he also served as a ranch hand for a man named David Landrum. He did this until 1996, when he left school, stopped ranching and turned to recruiters. He joined the Navy, but was rejected because he had metal pins in his arm from a rodeo accident. He went back to work as a ranch hand until 1998, when the recruiter called him and said they wanted him. Chris went through basic training and boot camp with ease. “I remember calling my dad at one point and telling him that the basic work was easy compared to working on the ranch. That wasn't a good thing. I had joined the Navy to become a SEAL and challenge myself. Instead I got fat and out of shape." The next step was BUD/S (Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL), a brutal training school to become a SEAL. He survived the infamous Hell Week, 132 consecutive hours of training exercises, and graduated BUD/S. His first choice was to join SEAL Team 3, and that's exactly where he went. That spring of 2001 turned out to be quite eventful because during the holidays he met his future wife, Taya. “I don't know if you believe in love at first sight; I don't think I did until the night in April 2001 when I saw Taya at a club bar in San Diego, talking to one of my friends.” Since then they began talking regularly, even though Chris was training on the East Coast. When he returned, they began seeing each other regularly. Right before Chris' first deployment, he and Taya got married. When he left the Middle East, he had his first overseas encounters in the Persian Gulf. They spent time on board and searched the ships. In the first two months Chris worked with the Polish GROM - GROM Special Military Formation of the Dark and Silent Paratroopers of the Polish Army. One ship in particular that Chris talks about boarding was a North Korean cargo ship. They were preparing to take the ship when the Spanish came out of nowhere and did it for them, 2013.
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